A very silly Christmas!

We all agreed this was the silliest and funniest Christmas we could remember. We laughed and wore silly hats, and played silly games. Now it's nearly New Year's Eve and we shall prepare a traditional Danish New Year's Eve meal  for family and friends.

I have wanted to blog before now, but we were down in England for the second week in December and on our return I was busy trying to prepare for Christmas. Family are still here which has been wonderful especially as all three of our children decided they will stay for New Year's Eve.

I would just like to take this opportunity to thank everyone for their kind and encouraging comments on this blog. I think it amazing to have met so many varied and interesting people and while we may never have met in person I feel  I have found friends in many different places and share many interests.

I wish you all a very happy, healthy and peaceful New Year.

and then it snowed

The lupin needs to learn that it's winter! Yesterday morning I drove to Beauly. Up and over the Dirrie More. This is the road that runs between Ullapool and Dingwall.  In Gaelic, Dirrie More means the long ascent. It rises to a height of 277m (909 feet)
It's only a few miles from where we live but the more extreme winter weather can be found here. I pulled off the road and walked towards Loch Droma  - you can see my footsteps through the wing mirror. I stopped again on the return journey home as the sun was setting. The temperature on the car thermometer read -7°c.  It  was good to come home and be cosy.
This morning the snow where we are has turned to rain and it looks pretty grim outside. I think I'll stay indoors and carry on the cosy theme!

Holding on

A foxglove holding on, despite the onset of winter

Moss holding on

Me, taking a photo, holding on - it's a steep slope down to the bottom of the garden!

Is it the remains of a bee's nest?  It's definitely holding on.

The summer residence holding on, waiting for a lick of paint

Drops of water holding on, until I walk by then they land down the back of my neck

Clouds holding on

A snail holding on

Seaweed holding on - waiting for the tide to turn

I come in here and hold on, waiting for the rain to stop. I stand under the shelter of trees listening to the roar of water as it thunders down to meet the loch.

I love coming to this part of the lochside. It's secretive and tumble down. Time stands still here. It's  overgrown and haphazard and even though I can hear the nearby rush of water the place is still, and cloaked in silence.

manual labour

The blogging gap is because there hasn't been much to blog about! But I'm having withdrawal symptons and  decided blogging about not much is better than not blogging at all.

I've cleaned the windows - inside and out. I'm trying to make this interesting!

We were meant  to have completed the groundwork round the outside of the house by now. Apart from digging a trench to lay drain pipes we've not got any further. Lack of motivation, indecision and general faffing are to blame. 

As well as painting half the garage floor (I'm waiting for it to dry before painting the other half) I painted a picture. I wasn't going to put it on here, but if I say the chimney is meant to be wonky like that, and the roof in the middle is meant to look like a giant hinged lid that will make it alright, and anyway you might not notice - but probably will, now I've pointed it out!

I found a wonderful 'tip' on someone's blog (I can't remember who's) for dealing with scrappy bits of wool that unravel and cause chaos in the knitting bag. It's great, I've reined all loose ends in neatly on clothes pegs -  now what do I do with them?!

I must apologise to Hamish. I don't know him but he sent a comment on my blog regarding planning application for the erection of  a wind turbine on Mellon Udrigle beach. Hamish along with many residents in the area feel this would be a dreadful thing to do in such a beautiful location. Unfortunately, I deleted his email in error. I've had so many spam emails recently this one was swept up with the general garbage. So please accept my apologies and for those interested the application can be found here Hamish gave me the link to 'Visit Loche Ewe' facebook page too. It is a wonderful part of the world. I'm not against renewable energy  but it would seem  insensitive to site a wind turbine on this beautiful beach.

Lastly a big 'Thank You' to the  forty nine followers of this blog. I noticed last week the number has gone up. Thank you for not giving up. I haven't given up either just sometimes it's impossible to feel inspired!

The week in pictures

When the weather gets it right it's breathtaking. Achmelvich beach at the weekend. Deserted, and bathed in late autumn sunshine. The only sound was the sea as the waves fell and slapped against the sand.

On our recent dam walk I picked up an old and weathered tree root. It makes the perfect plant stand! Both the plant (rosary vine, I think) and the wood seem made for each other. The tree root is very old and was buried in peat that had been washed away by the rising water levels when the dam was built. 

The weather isn't good all of the time. It's easy to paint a rosy picture of life here, and of course I can choose what to show on my blog! We do have rain too, long soggy days when it doesn't stop. The other evening we were without electricity. Tree felling in the lane managed to bring down an overhead wire. Thank goodness for Ikea t lights and wood burning stoves.  It's almost possible to read ones kindle by candlelight - but not quite! 

Did anyone watch the BBC's Autumn Watch programme last week on television? It was broadcast from the Aigas Field Centre, roughly forty five miles south of here. Lucille asked if I'd seen any beavers? The Aigas Field Centre is doing a study of them and have a family living on their loch. No, I haven't,  but I understand they can be found here. and it appears to be somewhat controversial!
I really appreciate your comments regarding my often hit and miss photos! I have finally switched the camera to  manual setting, which means lots of faffing as I try to work out what I'm doing rather than leaving it to the camera! But I love it and sometimes think it's a bit of an obsession! I also love some of the art settings on the camera, but try not to over use them.